Professional Development for Distressed Physician Behaviors

Gain skills to recognize and avoid unprofessional behavior in the workplace

2026 Course Dates

Three-day in-person/virtual course dates:

Feb. 25-27, 2026 (Virtual)
March 18-20, 2026 (Virtual)
May 13-15, 2026 (Virtual)
June 24-26, 2026 (Virtual)
July 22-24, 2026
Sept. 9-11, 2026
Oct. 21-23, 2026
Nov. 18-20, 2026

Courses fill up rapidly and some may already be closed. Please contact us at cph@vumc.org or call 615-936-0678 to check availability for course dates listed prior to making any travel arrangements.

The Professional Development for Distressed Physician Behaviors course includes a three-day course and three follow-up group cohort sessions scheduled at one, three, and six months post course.

Please see the follow-up dates in "Course Logistics" below for more information.

Please call 615-936-0678 or email cph@vumc.org if you have any questions about the course.

Course Information

Price

The cost is $6,000 for a 3-day course followed by three half-day sessions at one, three and six months post course. The course fee is due in full at registration. The payment for the course must be made in full before your spot can be confirmed.
You may pay by check or credit card. Upon submission of registration, you will be redirected to the payment page. If paying by check, please contact the Center for Professional Health at cph@vumc.org for additional information.

Course Logistics

Course enrollment is limited to 8 participants.
The Professional Development for Distressed Physician Behaviors course includes a three-day course and three follow-up group cohort sessions scheduled at one, three and six months post course. Please see the chart below for the initial course dates and the corresponding follow-up dates:

2026 3-day Courses	Follow-up group cohort sessions (Virtual)
Feb. 25-27, 2026 (Virtual)	March 23, May 11, and Aug. 17, 2026
March 18-20, 2026 (Virtual)	April 20, June 15, and Sept. 28, 2026
May 13-15, 2026 (Virtual)	June 22, Aug. 10, and Nov. 9, 2026
June 24-26, 2026 (Virtual)	July 27, Sept. 14, and Dec. 7, 2026
July 22-24, 2026	Aug. 24, Oct. 19, 2026, and Jan. 25, 2027
Sept. 9-11, 2026	Oct. 5, Dec. 14, 2026, and March 8, 2027
Oct. 21-23, 2026	Nov. 16, 2026, Jan. 11, and April 5, 2027
Nov. 18-20, 2026	Dec. 21, 2026, Feb. 8, and May 10, 2027

Course Goals

Teach new skills in the recognition and expression of emotions that lead to unprofessional behavior
Provide a syllabus of selected readings and resources for the distressed physician
Teach the range of inappropriate behaviors
Provide strategies for the prevention of inappropriate behavior
Provide follow-up and support in maintaining behavior changes
Evaluate the effectiveness of the course based on feedback from the workplace monitoring system

Course Objectives

After participating in this CME activity, participants should be able to describe and discuss:

Personal potential for unprofessional behavior
Potential for unprofessional behavior in professional settings
Circumstances that contribute to inappropriate behavior in professional settings

Physicians and other health care professionals referred to the course by State Medical Boards and Physicians Health Programs for unprofessional behavior and those interested in increasing knowledge and skills in the recognition and expression of emotions that lead to unprofessional behavior.

Course Faculty

Charlene M. Dewey, MD, MEd, MACP, Professor, Vanderbilt University Medical Center Division of General Internal Medicine & Public Health
Quitina J. Watson, EdD, Course Director, Center for Professional Health; Instructor of Medicine, Department of Medicine
Laveil Allen, MD, Section Chief of Emergency Radiology, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Ayne-Wallace Nichols, LCSW, Course Instructor

Accreditation

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education to provide continuing medical education for physicians.

Credit Designation

Vanderbilt University Medical Center designates this live activity for a maximum of 48.25 AMA PRA Category 1 credits. Physicians should claim only the credit commensurate with the extent of their participation in the activity.

Cancellation Policy

Course registration must be cancelled at least 30 days prior to the first day of the course to receive a refund. No refunds will be given if cancellation is received less than 30 days prior to the course. You may transfer to another course date. In the event VUMC must cancel or reschedule this CME activity due to unforeseen circumstances, Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) will refund the registration fee in full. Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) is not responsible for non-transferable, non-refundable airline tickets or hotel accommodations purchased in connection with attendance at this CME activity. Failure to appear for the event will result in forfeiture of the entire course fee.

Testimonials from past participants

Incredible faculty. Extremely empathetic, cohesive group who complement each other.

"By participating in this course, I was able to see myself as others see me. The exercises and homework were invaluable assets. Many of us rarely take time to examine ourselves with the skill and knowledge that we use to examine our patients. I implore you to be open and honest with yourself and your group. This course will enhance you, your practice, and your family."

I loved the format and the participation of the session. This is a very new format for me and I really appreciated the personal attention. I felt that the speakers had a genuine interest in improving my performance and were invested in making me a better communicator and physician.